The first course of a meal is underpraised. That’s why we turn to our Superdiners and ask them who’s got a great appetizer in San Diego.

My go-to appetizer is always the soup. You can tell everything you need to know about a place by its soup. The sambar soup at Gourmet India (810 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. 619-702-7967 or gourmet-india.us) is a great start: lentils, tomatoes and onions, spiked with cardamom, coriander and ginger. Catch a Bollywood gangster flick on the projector there and it’s a good day. — Ricardo Heredia, executive chef at Alchemy Restaurant

I spend more time dining off the appetizer side of menus than the entree side, because I enjoy the whimsy chefs are able to employ when not saddled to the protein-starch-veg-sauce equation. I never thought I’d cite a mussel dish as one of my faves, but I recently lapped up every bit of a huge plate of mussels served in a white wine and garlic broth fortified with duck confit and cognac at Pacifica Del Mar (Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. 858-792-0476 or pacificadelmar.com). Rich and bathe-in-it good, it was unlike anything I’ve had before. — Brandon Hernández, food writer (Twitter @offdutyfoodie)

I confess, I am stuck in a rut. I have never eaten at The Farm House Cafe (2121 Adams Ave., University Heights. 619-269-9662 or farmhousecafesd.com) without splitting an order of chef Olivier Bioteau’s escargot risotto (OK, once I had a burger, but that was breakfast and doesn’t count). There’s none better, period! In fact, just the very act of writing this makes me crave another steamy bowl of that snail-laden gem! — Andrew Spurgin, consulting chef and event architect, andrewspurgin.com

Go-to starter: veggies. It’s a preview of things to come. An example: I just had an incredible wood-fired roasted yams with blue cheese sauce and cabbage dish at Tiger! Tiger! (3025 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. 619-487-0401 or tigertigertavern.blogspot.com). I left wanting to try everything on their menu and will likely return for the attempt. — Anthony Schmidt, bartender at Noble Experiment

These days it’s the sweet potato fry. Simple and delicious, and if the chef does it right, I know I’ve got a very good chance for a great meal to follow. And for me, Heights Tavern (3377 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. 619-501-3455 or heightstavern.com) raises the sweet potato bar. This is a tavern, so you’d be a simple spud if you didn’t try its stout (ice cream) float while you’re there. — Charles Kaufman, baker, owner of Bread & Cie Café (Twitter @BreadAndCie)

We’ll order the goi cuon (pork and shrimp fresh spring rolls) whenever we get pho. We phased out of ordering calamari and moved on to new starters. The shaved Brussels sprouts are excellent at Davanti Enoteca (two local locations; davantienoteca.com). The hot wings at Eureka! (UTC Mall, 4353 La Jolla Village Drive, University City. 858-210-3444 or eurekaburger.com) aren’t bad, and surprisingly you’re given a generous amount. — Joanne Arellano, human resources professional, avid Yelper, avid diner

My go-to starter has been oysters for as long as I can remember. With champagne preferably. In SD I still look to the Oceanaire for solid oyster experience. — Jeff Josenhans, director of beverage outlets and sommelier at U.S. Grant Hotel

Like about 99.9 percent of carnivores, I like bacon. I especially like it when it’s wrapped around something. I haven’t tried bacon wrapped around some Air Jordan kicks, but I’m not ruling it out. For now, though, a starter like the bacon wrapped dates — not the person you arrived with, but rather those delightful fruits that are really good for you — is a must have for me. PrepKitchen in Little Italy has them on their tapas menu from 3-7 and late night 10-close. If I’m in the area at either of those times, I don’t miss a chance to have this delicious combo of sweet and salty. — Gerald “Dex” Poindexter, publicist, avid diner (Twitter @SuperdinerDex)

If it’s Italian, I’ll always order the polenta, crispy or creamy. Several places in San Diego do creamy polenta particularly well, including Monello and Cucina Urbana, but I don’t think anyone does it as superbly as Davanti Enoteca in Little Italy. Maybe it’s the mascarpone cheese. Maybe it’s the meltingly tender slow-cooked pork ragu. Maybe it’s the amore. Whatever it is, it makes my life more complete. — Susan Russo, food writer, cookbook author (Twitter @Susan_Russo)

Although crispy Brussels sprouts are usually listed under the side dishes, every restaurant these days seem to have their version on the menu. These tasty little crispy treats serve as a wonderful appetizer when paired with pancetta, shaved fresh parmesan and a balsamic reduction. Having tried Brussels sprouts all over town, with varying degrees of success, I still need to recommend Chef Katherine’s creation at Bo-Beau on West Point Loma Blvd., they are the best sprouts in San Diego, and worth the wait since the restaurant doesn’t take reservations. — David Salisbury, a law firm’s director of business development, avid diner

Even though I mention this little place quite often, I still enjoy ordering a bunch of small plates at Yakitori Yakyudori on Convoy St. — Fabrice Poigin, private chef, restaurant consultant

When I think of a starter I think of my love for oysters. My go-to spots for dine-in are Solace and the Moonlight Lounge (25 East E St., Encinitas. 760-753-2433 or eatatsolace.com) — check out the Sunday specials — and Fish 101 (1468 N Coast Highway 101, Encinitas. 760-943-6221 or fish101restaurant.com), especially their happy hour $1-oysters. For takeout, Whole Foods (various; wholefoodsmarket.com) will chuck, clean and put on ice for a take home starter. — Randee Stratton, real estate broker, avid diner